Pot roast in the slow cooker is my go-to set and forget meal to cook. I can sear the meat without using any flour while I chop my veggies and don’t have to do it in batches like with stew meat! You still get that wonderful slow-cooked tender beef without extra work.
This pot roast recipe is economical because you don’t need beef broth! You’re probably thinking, wait, what did you say?! Yes, no beef broth or beef base. If you flavor and sear the meat just right, you don’t need it because it is slowly braised in the drippings that come from a long sear of the meat. The pot roast without beef broth is just as tasty as with beef broth using just salt and pepper (and mushrooms). Everything cooks without having to watch a stove or keep an oven on. You can be out all day while this cooks safely in a crock pot or slow cooker.
Health Benefits: Pot Roast
Chuck roast is a great source of protein and iron. Admittedly, it is not a lean cut of meat. To keep out some of the saturated fat, I trim the fat that is easy to reach. Sometimes I cut the roast into two or three smaller pieces to reach large chunks of fat marbled in the middle of the roast.
I also skim any fat off the top of the braising broth at the end of cooking. If you can wait to let the broth cool, the fat will get hard and float to the top. You can also use a fat separator – I like the OXO Good Grips 4 Cup Plastic Fat Separator.
Give this economical cut of meat a try the next time it is on sale and you will be surprised how much flavor you can get out of this simple cooking method!
Need other crock pot recipes? Try my Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Sausage for another easy meal that’s easy on the wallet.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 slow cooker crock pot or multi-purpose cooker works
- 1 10" saute pan (needed if using crock pot that is NOT a multi-purpose cooker)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pot roast (aka chuck roast)
- ½ tbsp seasoning salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion peeled and cut into large chunks
- 5 red potatoes peeled (optional) and cut into large chunks (about 1 ⅓ pounds)
- 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into large chunks (about ¾ pound)
- 8 ounces mushrooms cut into chunks
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Set multi-purpose cooker to brown/sear (or heat large saute pan on medium high heat).
- Trim larger chunks of fat off pot roast. If you end up with two or three separate chunks of pot roast that’s fine. Season with seasoned salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add canola oil to the multi-purpose cooker pot (or saute pan). Heat oil for 30 seconds then add pot roast. Do NOT touch the pot roast for about 10 minutes while it sears! This is key to developing that beefy flavor for your gravy.
- While the pot roast is searing, peel and cut the onion into chunks. I like to cut off the ends of the onion, cut it in half so it can rest flat on the cutting board, then cut each half into 8 chunks.
- Wash and cut the red potatoes into halves then cut each half into four equal pieces. If you have some smaller potatoes, cut them so they are about the same size and cut pieces from the larger potatoes.
- Wash, peel, and cut the carrots into about 1 ½-inch pieces. Cut the thicker top end of the carrots into half lengthwise.
- After 10 minutes of searing the pot roast, flip with tongs and sear the other side for another 10 minutes. Again, do not touch the pot roast while searing!
- Clean and cut your mushrooms. If using maitake, just trim off the bottom where the stems connect. If using cremini or button mushrooms, slice or cut into quarters; your preference.
- Optional: If you have patience, sear the sides of the pot roast for a couple minutes on each side by leaning it up on the side of the pot/pan.
- Remove the meat and place on a plate. Add mushrooms to the pot/pan. Saute mushrooms for 2 to 3 minutes so it soaks up all the fond at the bottom of pot/pan.
- Add onions, potatoes, and carrots. Stir and cook for 1 minutes to coat the vegetables with the seasoning from the pot roast and mushrooms.
- Push the vegetables to the sides and place the pot roast at the bottom of the pot. If using a saute pan, put the pot roast in the slow cooker then add the vegetables around and on top of the pot roast.
- Add 2 cups of water to multi-purpose cooker or slow cooker until the pot roast and vegetables. It's okay if the food sticks out a little over the water because the meat will shrink. Secure the lid and cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 3 hours.
- Open the lid and remove the pot roast and vegetables. Optional: If you want to thicken your gravy, set multi-purpose cooker to boil and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also do this on the stove in a pot if you used a slow cooker.
- Serve by itself or with a starchy side like steamed rice or bread. Enjoy!
